Economy

Published Wednesday, April 21, 2004

While St. Johns County has seen plenty of spontaneous residential development, commercial development and the creation of good jobs has required more cultivation by the county and business development groups. An Economic Development Council study confirmed that the county has a lopsided tax base, with more quality commercial development needed to balance the residential development.

Tourism is the largest industry in the county and sustains its economy. However, the EDC, a branch of the St. Augustine & St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, is pushing for a broader spectrum of businesses to nurture here, including corporate office, financial and information services; aviation and automotive industries; food products; medical products and health services; and recreational equipment and sports.

Among incentives to new business are the county's relatively low tax rate, good school system and low crime rate. And two years ago the Board of County Commissioners passed the St. Johns County Business Incentives Program. The program is available to new companies that meet a set of criteria including employment, wages, size of facility, and qualification as a state and local target industry. The incentives program also includes criteria and rewards for existing companies that plan to stay in the county and expand.

The Ring Power Corp. was the first company to apply for and be offered business incentives under the new program. Ring Power is currently building its 350,000-square-foot headquarters facility at I-95 and International Golf Parkway as part of the World Commerce Center development.

The incentives program also played a role in keeping the American Culinary Federation's national headquarters in St. Johns when it had been looking elsewhere to expand. The ACF plans to build at World Golf Village and expand its employment.

The EDC has adopted an aggressive marketing plan for business recruitment and retention. It includes an inventory of available industrial and office sites around the county to offer business site-selection consultants, who make about half of all corporate relocation and expansion decisions.

The EDC also has renewed its relationship with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone program, which promotes business development on a regional scale.

"This is a great time for business development in St. Johns County. We are one of the fastest growing counties in the Southeast, and our public and private sector leaders are focused on smart economic growth and the creation of high-wage job opportunities," said Kari Hall-Keating, Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the Chamber.

The Economic Development Council (EDC) maintains a wealth of statistical data about St. Johns County that helps companies with their business planning.

Now the EDC is taking additional steps to ensure that the community has access to the most up-to-date and relevant material.

In 2003, the EDC reviewed their data library to determine what is the most meaningful to corporate decision-makers, both local and potential recruits. With the help of a national survey, the EDC pulled together new data in areas such as industrial vacancy, recent expansions and workers compensation information. They compiled it all into a new portfolio known as the Corporate Relocations Package and are distributing it both regionally and internationally. The package features high-impact photography of St. Johns County's beautiful areas and highlights business testimonials from some veteran companies.

To help guide their marketing and recruiting efforts, the Economic Development Council uses a Target Industry Study - an analysis of the types of industries that would be a good match for St. Johns County. The original study was produced in 1998 by Urbanomics, and the Ponte Vedra Beach company completed an update in April 2003. Among the industries listed as targets are: Corporate Office, Financial and Information Services; Aviation and Automotive Industries; Specialty Industrial and Commercial Products; Food Products and Distribution; Medical Products and Health Sciences; Recreational Equipment and Sports; and Distribution and Logistics.

According to Steve Harrison, EDC Chairman, the gathering of industrial sites data helps the EDC to respond quickly in today's competitive business world.

"We knew we needed to have as much detail as possible at our fingertips when the Chamber and EDC offices receive calls from potential business relocation opportunities. These calls are always soliciting information from communities located throughout the United States, and we need to respond quickly and professionally. This database allows us to respond timely and effectively. Additionally, this database will soon be available on our Web site and on the Cornerstone Web site, allowing the Cornerstone staff to respond appropriately on our behalf," he said.

Harrison, who is also the General Manager of the Serenata Beach Club, said community benefits include an accurate fair listing of the appropriate commercial sites in one location. This allows landowners, brokers, and commercial real estate agents to have their properties listed and exposed to potential customers they may not have access to, he said.

"This listing is also available to any local business that may be considering a move or expansion," said Harrison.

He added that the target industry study allows the EDC to focus on industries that are most beneficial to the community. This includes the workforce, infrastructure, the environment, transportation, and many other criteria.

"The study, gives us guidelines to ensure that we are upholding the best interest of the community, when developing new business opportunities," said Harrison.

Isabelle Rodriguez, Economic Development Administrator, agreed.

"The target industry study is one tool that the business recruitment committee is using right now. It is very important in reaching the needs of businesses and the community," she said.